Campaign ends in Odisha for Lok Sabha and Assembly seats

Campaigning ended today in 11 Lok Sabha and 77 Assembly seats in Odisha for the second and last phase polling for the elections on April 17. The fate of 98 candidates, including 11 women would be decided in the Lok Sabha elections and that of 747 candidates, including 65 women, in the Assembly.

Contestants for the Assembly included high-profile leaders and state ministers like Maheshwar Mohanty, Pratap Keshari Deb, Badri Narayan Patra, Bijoyshree Routray and Damodar Rout.
Also in the fray were BJP stalwart and former minister Bijay Mohapatra and OPCC President Jaydev Jena.

Issues that cropped up during polling were Centre's 'neglect' highlighted by the BJD, while the Congress alleged corruption, misrule, scams, including mining and chitfunds, and irregularities in central schemes. The BJP campaigned that there was no development during BJD rule, while employment was a major problem. An electorate of over 1.55 crore voters were eligible to exercise their franchise in 18,692 booths.